Starting Point
by Down-the-Line
Summary: Years have passed since Ash and Paul's battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference. Now the time has come for them to face off as Champions. Slight Pokeshipping and Ikarishipping. One-shot.


**\- Starting Point -**

"_When every life meets another life, something will be born."_

* * *

**_December 8th, 2033. Noon. Jubilife City, Sinnoh._**

"Are you nervous?"

"It's an exhibition match. That's all."

It was cold. It was only the second week of December, and there was already a dusting of snow. But despite the chilling air, what seemed like the entire region had packed itself into Jubilife City's arena with heated excitement. It was the Pokemon League Association's annual Winter Tournament, but it was the opening ceremonies that had managed to attract more attention than usual on this day.

Dawn stopped walking. She lifted her head to Paul, a look of uncertainty on her face. "Yes. But it's not like this is just _any_ exhibition match, you know."

Paul slid his hands into his jacket pockets. "It's no different from any other," he stated simply.

"It's Ash."

"I know."

It was common for the League to reel in famous trainers to participate in exhibition matches that opened up big tournaments like the one today. Typically Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, or former Pokemon League Tournament winners would dazzle the audience and catch attention—but this opening match was different. Two Champions were about to clash, and some people had come from as far away as Unova to get caught up in the battle's rumble.

"That doesn't… make you even a little jittery?" Dawn crossed her arms, shielding herself from the cold. "I always feel tense when I'm part of a battle like this," she admitted, rubbing her hands against the fabric of her sleeves. "And it's been a long time-since you've seen him, I mean."

Paul sighed, frustrated. "It's a battle, Dawn," he said, turning to face her. "And I'm going to win it like I would any other."

Dawn went quiet. Paul had been preparing tirelessly for this match-up. His training was always course and heavy, but she had noted a spark in his eyes that wasn't there before. This wasn't just any battle—it was a battle against the Kanto Champion and his biggest rival. If he was nervous, he certainly wasn't letting it show. Then again, Dawn wondered if he ever got nervous at all.

She eventually closed her eyes, sighing in resignation. "Well, you're as confident as ever," she remarked, rubbing her temple with one hand. Paul had never been one to talk about feelings, so there was no point in pressing it any further. She opened an eye, cracking a small smile. "It's been a while since I've seen you two battle in person. I have to admit, even I'm getting excited."

"Hmm?"

Dawn tilted her head to the side. "What's not to be excited about? The battles between the two of you are always something incredible," she said, taking a moment to remember the heat of the stadium during their match at the Sinnoh League. "I can only imagine how intense it will be after all this time." She glanced behind her towards the stadium entrance where a crowd was beginning to pile inside to watch the opening ceremonies. "And I think all of those people coming to watch can sense it too."

Paul huffed. "It _is_ a battle between two Champions," he said, brushing off her comment.

Dawn lowered her voice. "I think you and I both know that it's a lot more than just that, Paul."

His gaze was focused past Dawn, towards the stadium behind her. He furrowed his brows together. The arena was sold out. It was almost as if the entire world felt the friction of his and Ash's rivalry—of everything that it meant.

Dawn watched him for a moment, shifting her weight on to her right hip before offering a smile. "It's a one-on-one, right?" she asked, changing the subject. She took a step closer, pressing her hands against his chest so that she could straighten out his scarf. She had found a habit of fixing his clothes for him whenever they were creased or out of place. It was a small, affectionate gesture that Paul didn't seem to mind. "Are you going with Torterra?"

He lost some of the tension in his shoulders, looking down at her. "Electivire."

Dawn's head snapped up quickly to look at him, surprise crossing her face. "What? Electivire?" she nearly stammered, shaking her head in confusion. "But, I thought for sure that you'd use Torterra. I mean, if Ash uses Pikachu then—"

"He won't."

His response was flat and unwavering. Being so certain that a Champion wouldn't pick their signature Pokemon for a one-on-one battle was risky, and Dawn wasn't convinced. "I don't understand," she started after a pause, removing her hands from his chest. "How can you be so sure?"

"I know him."

Dawn stared at him, puzzled, until realization hit her. "Oh…!" she breathed in. "So, then…" She lowered her voice. "I see. That's why you chose Electivire..."

Paul looked forward without saying a word.

"You know," Dawn started after a pause, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Back then, Ash chose his team for your league match-up because they had lost to you at Lake Acuity."

"I'm aware."

Dawn raised an eyebrow, glancing towards him with a knowing smile. "It seems he's had more of an influence on you than you'd like to admit then," she teased lightly.

Paul let out a short grunt, which was confirmation enough for Dawn that he knew she was right. Electivire had lost before, but this time they were going to win.

"I have to head out," he said suddenly, changing the subject. "I should start getting ready."

"All right," Dawn nodded. She rose up onto her toes, lightly kissing him on the cheek. "Good luck," she said quietly, stepping back down and looking up at him with a smile. "We'll be cheering you on from the stands. Do your best."

His gaze locked with hers, nodding firmly. "I'll win."

Dawn took a step backwards, smiling confidently. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you."

Paul closed his eyes, a small smile forming as he nodded his head. Her encouragement kindled a fire inside of him, a further strength to win. He turned away from Dawn, heading into the back of the arena.

It was almost time.

* * *

The trainer's lounge was practically empty as everyone poured into the stadium for the upcoming match. Ash and Misty had been left alone to have lunch in quiet—at least, for a little while.

"Ash!" Misty snapped. "Jeeze, slow down a bit, will you?"

Ash paused from scarfing down his cheeseburger to look over at Misty, his mouth still full of food. "Hm?" He didn't bother swallowing. "Why? I've gotta keep my strength up, don't I? Eating is the best way to do that!" He piled a handful of fries into his mouth.

Pikachu sat on the table beside his trainer's food, happily licking an open ketchup packet.

Misty put down the water bottle she held in her hand, unamused. "The battle's not going anywhere, Ash. You still have plenty of time. I swear, you'll get a stomach ache!" she chastised.

Ash gritted his teeth in frustration when he began to realize just how bad it might feel to have a gurgling and cramping abdomen in the middle of a big battle like this one. Reluctantly deciding Misty was right, he swallowed the food already in his mouth—coughing and pounding himself on the chest to help it all go down.

"Yeah, guess you're right," he sighed, leaning back in his chair with a frown. "But, man, I can't help it!" He ran a hand through his messy hair. "Thinking about this battle is getting me so pumped that I just wanna get this food down so I can head out there already!"

"You can't make it come any faster!" Misty sighed, shaking her head. She picked her water bottle back up, raising the rim to her lips. "I know you're excited, but you need to relax a little."

Ash groaned in irritation, leaning forward. "C'mon, Mist, don't be like that!" He grinned. "How am I supposed to relax when I know I'm going to be battling Paul?" He picked up another fry off of his plate, shoving it into his mouth. "It's totally getting me pumped!"

Misty watched as Ash, once again, began inhaling his meal, seeming to already have forgotten about the possibility of getting sick. She decided that trying to scold him again would be pointless—he was too excited and wrapped up in thinking about his battle to care. She couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Anyways," Misty started, giving Ash a curious glance. "Are you really not going to use Pikachu in the match?" Her gaze shifted towards Pikachu, whose attention was caught at the mention of his name. His ears twitched, turning to Misty and letting out a small "Pi?" as he put down his near empty packet of ketchup.

Ash looked over to Misty while he finished wiping his hands with a napkin. "Nah," he started, giving Pikachu an affectionate pat on the head. "Pikachu's gonna sit this one out. Infernape has this match covered." He looked down at his small partner. "Right, buddy?"

Pikachu looked up at him, clenching his paws into fists as his cheeks sparked. "Pika!"

"Don't tell me you're actually using strategy," Misty teased lightly. She had the feeling that Paul would be using his signature Pokemon, Torterra—and she was sure Ash had that suspicion as well.

Ash chuckled with the wave of a hand. "No, it's not like that," he dismissed, leaning forward, pressing his elbows against the table. "It's just that…" He looked up towards the ceiling, pondering on how to word what he was about to say. "This is Infernape's battle. He's the one who brought Paul and I together, after all. And, in a lot of ways, Infernape is also the one who brought us to this match today." Ash looked down, his expression changing into something more focused—it was as if he was taking a moment to reflect on the past he carried with Paul and Infernape. "He deserves this fight."

Misty watched him in silence. It had always amazed her that one moment Ash could be seemingly clueless and simple-minded, but then the next showing that he's so much more than that. Ash's passion for becoming stronger alongside his Pokemon and striving to succeed were inspiring. The idea that Ash was so set on showing Paul how far he and Infernape had come was something that came as no surprise to her. It was just like him.

She sighed with a smile, leaning on the palm of her hand. "You really don't change, do you?"

Ash lifted his head, his expression going right back to that famously goofy grin of his as he scratched his nose with a finger. "I don't know what you're talking about," he started, inhaling as he glanced down. "I've come a long way since Paul and I last battled—as a person and as a trainer. And I want to see how Paul has changed too." When he raised his head to look at her, Misty could see a fire burning in his eyes. "And battling to show one another how far you've come and how much strength you've gained over time…" He rose to his feet, picking up his worn baseball cap from off of the table. Pikachu squeaked happily, jumping onto Ash's shoulder while he placed his hat on his head, turning to Misty with a smile.

"That's just the way things are between rivals!"

* * *

Skye ran along the sidewalk as fast as she could, huffing pants while she squeezed her way through the clusters of people blocking her path. She was in a hurry. She had left her parents early in the trainer's lounge, promising to get the best seats possible for herself and Misty. There was no way she wasn't going to get a front row spot.

This match was something that Skye had been looking forward to for weeks. She had practically begged Ash and Misty to let her tag along with them to the Sinnoh region just so she could see it in person. She had heard story after story as a child of her father's rivalry with the famous Sinnoh Champion, Paul Rebolledo. The idea of being able to see the two clash in person was an opportunity that she wouldn't pass up for the world.

She could feel the buzz of excitement all around her when she neared the entrance of the colosseum. But while she was wedging her way forward, she suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She spun on her heel to see another girl, about her age, sitting alone on a bench with a book. It took Skye a moment of recollection in order to realize that she was familiar with her. Her face lit up and she jogged over to her.

"Hey!" Skye greeted, holding up a hand as she approached. The girl's attention was drawn from her book, glancing up to meet her gaze. "It's Lizzie, right?" Skye continued. "You're the Sinnoh Champion's daughter!"

Lizzie scrunched her nose in annoyance at the comment. Her focus returned back to the book in her hands.

"Yes," she replied curtly.

Skye smiled, pointing a finger towards herself. "You remember me, don't you? We've met before! You came with your Mom to the Kanto region a few years ago! I'm Sk—!"

"Skylar," Lizzie finished for her, turning a page in her book.

Skye blinked in surprise. She almost thought that Lizzie hadn't remembered her for a second there, but she shrugged it off with a laugh. "Aww, come on. It's just Skye!" she said with a wave of her hand.

"Skye. Sure."

Skye noticed the title of the book that Lizzie had grasped in her hands and her eyebrows quickly shot up. "Ah! That book!" she started, smiling. "It's a guide for new Pokemon Trainers, isn't it?"

"It is."

Skye sat down beside her, peeking over Lizzie's shoulder to get a better look at whatever it was she was so enthralled in. Her focus was automatically drawn to a picture of a green turtle Pokemon taking up a corner of the page. "Oh! That's… a Turtag!" Skye noted, pointing towards the image in the book.

Lizzie inched away from her. "_Turtwig_," she corrected sharply. This conversation was going in a direction that Lizzie didn't like. She was starting to regret her decision to wait behind for her mother while she took her father to the locker rooms. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she turned her head to look at Skye fully. "Do you need something?"

Skye blinked in surprise at the sudden question, shaking her head. "No," she responded before smiling again, tilting her head to the side with a shrug. "I was just on my way to the stadium when I saw you sitting here and thought I'd say hello! I mean, it's been a long time."

"Hello, then," Lizzie started shortly. "Now—!"

"So," Skye interrupted. Lizzie pursed her lips in frustration. "Since that book is made for beginner trainers, and you're sitting here reading it then.… That must mean you're gonna be a Pokemon Trainer soon!" she stated matter-of-factly. "Have you turned ten yet?"

Lizzie let out a discontented huff, looking back to her book. "I turn ten in February, but I'm not going to be getting my trainer's license until the league starts up its new season in April."

"Hey, me too!" Skye said, lighting up before laughing and rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, I turned ten back in October, but I'm not leaving till April either." She leaned back, swinging her feet against the ground. "To be honest, I kinda wanted to get my first Pokemon and leave home right away, but my Mom and Dad convinced me that it'd probably be best to wait. You know, since the season was already half way done and stuff."

"Right," Lizzie clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "It _is_ what most trainers do."

Skye laughed nervously, rubbing her knees. "Yeah…. Guess so."

A silence fell between them. Lizzie's grip on her book tightened, feeling tense.

After a minute, Skye spoke up again. "So, isn't Turtwig a beginner Pokemon in the Sinnoh region?" she asked. "Are you picking Turtwig then? I mean, since you were reading about it in your book and all…. Or are you picking one of the others? Uh…" She scratched her temple in thought. "Mudkip and Chimchar?"

"_Piplup_," Lizzie murmured under her breath, turning the page. "But, I don't know. I haven't decided yet."

"Me neither," Skye smiled sheepishly. "They're all so great—I dunno how I'm supposed to pick just one!"

Lizzie didn't say anything, but Skye noticed a change in her expression. Her eyes were unmoving from her book, but her forehead scrunched slightly, as if she was trying to remember something. Lizzie inhaled and parted her mouth a little before quickly pressing her lips into a hard line and shaking her head, quickly flipping through several pages of her book.

Skye raised her eyebrows, waiting. For a moment, she thought that perhaps Lizzie had wanted to ask her something. But it must have just been her imagination. When Skye glanced down at the book, she saw a picture of one of the Kanto region's beginner Pokemon, a Squirtle. She smiled, looking forward and pressing her hands against the bench.

"It's gonna be a real intense battle, huh?"

Lizzie's attention was caught at the mention of the oncoming match. She lifted her head and looked over at Skye curiously without saying a word.

"Dontcha think so?" Skye asked, turning to her.

Lizzie watched her for a moment, quiet, until hesitantly speaking up. "Well… Yes," she started, looking to the stadium. "These _are_ two Champions battling, after all," she murmured, drumming her fingertips thoughtfully against the book in her lap. "…My Dad has been training really hard for this," she glanced back over to Skye.

"My Dad's totally been the same way!" Skye grinned. "I've seen videos of their battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference tons of times!" Her eyes were shining with excitement, her fists clenching tightly. "Oh man, it was such a cool match! You know, they weren't even that much older than we are now! And today they're gonna face off as _Champions_." She exhaled, looking up towards the sky. "How awesome is that? I don't blame my Dad for being pumped!"

Lizzie watched her, and as she spoke she couldn't help but think of her own father. While he had never really been someone of many words, Lizzie had been able to sense something different in him over the course of the past few weeks as he prepared for the match. His general air had changed and his training habits became more rigorous. It made her wonder just what this match had actually meant to him. She then shook the thought away, returning her attention to her book.

"Yeah," she responded shortly.

"Who do you think's gonna win?" Skye asked suddenly, looking at Lizzie with that same smile still plastered across her face.

Lizzie's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "I don't know," she said, turning a page. "I'm sure that it will be a close match, though."

Skye grinned confidently. "Well, I think my Dad is totally gonna take this one! There's no way he'll lose!"

Lizzie pursed her lips in annoyance, exhaling slowly through her nose. "Only time will tell, I guess," she murmured.

"Anyways! I was thinking—!" Skye started, holding up a finger.

Lizzie quickly shut her book, turning to her. "Don't you have somewhere you should be right now?"

Skye blinked, surprised by her response. But what Lizzie said quickly made something click in her mind. "O-oh!" She gasped sharply, her face falling as she jumped to her feet. "I have to get a seat!" She looked to the large crowd piling into the arena. She didn't have a moment to lose at this point if she wanted to get the best view possible.

Much to Lizzie's relief, Skye started sprinting down the street. After a few seconds, however, she skidded to a stop, nearly tripping over her own feet. She spun around, inhaling as she put a hand to her mouth. "Let's catch up after the battle!" she called, giving Lizzie a final wave before disappearing into the crowd.

Lizzie blinked in surprise, clutching her book tighter in her hands. She then groaned when realizing this meant Skye wasn't done with her yet. She sighed in exasperation, leaning back. She thought that she had finally shaken her off for the day, so she made a mental note to avoid her at all costs following the match. She watched the crowd for a moment longer before looking to the stadium. The clock was counting down, and the anticipation of the people around her was reaching high levels.

She gripped the bottom of her jacket—she supposed that feeling of excitement was starting to rub off on her as well.

* * *

Getting into the stadium was more of a headache than Misty would have liked. The crowd was overflowing and slow moving. How anyone managed to get inside and grab a seat early was beyond her. She walked through the bleachers, up and down the rows, and eventually made her way down the concrete steps. "Where is she…?" Misty sighed, exasperated. "She has to be around here _somewhere_." She pursed her lips in concern. "I hope she didn't get lost…"

Pikachu, who was sitting on Misty's shoulder, peered around the stadium, attempting to keep an eye open for his trainer's daughter. He closed his eyes, twitching his nose as he sniffed the air. Suddenly, his eyes opened and his face lit up, letting out a small "Cha" as he spotted Skye sitting alone in the bleachers not far ahead of them. He bounced off of Misty's shoulder and ran towards her.

"Pipika!" Pikachu happily called to her as he jumped onto Skye's shoulder and crawled onto her head, looking down at her.

"Pikachu!" Skye greeted, standing up before laughing. She reached to scratch beneath his chin. "Hey, where's Mom?"

"Hey! Pikachu!" Misty called, chasing after him. She stopped when seeing Skye. "Oh, Skye." She sighed, putting a hand to her chest. "_There_ you are. I've been looking all over for you!"

Skye turned to her, Pikachu still happily perched on her head. "Mom!" She crossed her arms. "There _you_ are. Jeeze, what took you so long? The match is about to start!"

Misty let out a long breath, relaxing her shoulders. "The line getting in here was a nightmare." She looked at Skye, suddenly becoming unamused. "And then I spent a good 15 minutes looking for you in section D," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Where you said you'd be sitting." She pointed to the large "G" painted on the brick wall behind them.

Skye winced—she should have figured Misty would be mad about that. "But section D was almost full!" she explained. "Besides, I managed to snag even better seats here! Yeah?"

Misty sighed, massaging her forehead. She shouldn't have expected anything less from Skye. "Between you and your father, I don't know how I manage sometimes..." she groaned, glancing down at her daughter. Skye grinned nervously, scrunching her shoulders into a small shrug.

Misty averted her eyes from Skye to take a look around the area. The view _was_ rather impressive. "I guess you're right, though," she admitted as she sat down. "You _did_ manage to get some pretty good seats." She then glanced at Skye warningly, narrowing her eyes. "Even if you weren't where you said you were going to be."

Skye rubbed her head, letting out a small laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she apologized. "But this is important, ya know?"

"Well, I suppose I can let you off the hook this once," Misty conceded, watching several staff members making the final preparations to the field. "This is a big match, after all."

"Mm!" Skye nodded excitedly. "Dad must be totally psyched!"

"Judging by how quickly he was inhaling his meal back in the lounge? I'd say you're right," Misty sighed. "If he gets a stomach ache then he can't say I didn't warn him."

Skye raised an eyebrow, smiling. "But who can blame him?" she asked, sitting beside Misty. "I mean, he and Infernape have been working nonstop for this! And now all that hard work is finally gonna pay off!"

Pikachu sparked his cheeks in agreement. "Pika!" he squeaked, jumping down from Skye's head and into her lap, making himself comfortable.

"Well, that's true," Misty agreed. "This match _is_ really important to your father." She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering all of the late nights and early mornings that Ash spent training in preparation. Even if she hadn't witnessed their rivalry first-hand in the past, she could feel what it meant to Ash. She looked to the field. The staff members were finally starting to clear out. There were only a few minutes left.

"I've never seen him and Paul battle in person before," Misty commented, not moving her eyes from the field. "I'm glad that I'm finally getting that chance."

"Me too!" Skye agreed with a grin. "I mean, I can't even believe I'm actually here at all!" Her eyes turned to the doors of the locker room. "I get to see a _real live _match between my Dad and the Sinnoh Champion!" Her face was beaming with admiration as she wrapped her arms a little tighter around Pikachu.

Misty shook her head as she pressed a finger to her temple. "If we didn't take you then we wouldn't have heard the end of it." Skye looked at Misty and puffed her cheeks, flustered.

"But," Misty continued before Skye could counter, closing her eyes with a smile. "You've been watching videos of their battles since you were little. So…" She opened an eye, glancing down at Skye. "How could we not?"

Skye blinked before her face lit up. "Yeah! And now I can see their rivalry for real!" She grinned. "It's even more exciting than a game between the Scythers and the Pinsirs!" she said, referring to Kanto's two biggest rival soccer teams.

"Well, that's one way of putting it," Misty laughed lightly. She gently scratched Pikachu's ear, causing him to let out a content sigh. "Except, I think that there's a lot more behind this battle for your father and Paul than any soccer game."

Skye deadpanned and looked at Misty seriously. "Mom, don't joke about that," she said flatly.

If there was one thing Skye took as seriously as competitive training, it was soccer. Misty recoiled back, not particularly wanting to sit through another earful from her daughter about how it was never "just a game." She considered her words.

"Your father and Paul have been rivals for a long time. They've been striving for the same goals, and now they're finally here." She curled her hands in her lap. "After all this time, they're getting the chance to show each other how far they've come—as people and as trainers. Even if it's just an exhibition match, this is something that carries a lot of weight for the both of them."

Skye crossed her arms, still dissatisfied that her mother had downplayed her favorite team. "And the Scythers and Pinsirs have been training for years with the same goal of winning the World Cup, but whatever," she mumbled bitterly. Misty sighed in defeat, wondering if Skye even understood her point. Skye then closed her eyes, inhaling. "... I know," she spoke up, looking across the stadium. "Having a rival must be great."

"…It is," Misty said after a pause. "Rivals are a part of who you are, after all."

Skye furrowed her eyebrows without saying a word.

* * *

"Wow! They've really outdone themselves with this place!" Dawn marveled as she looked around the stadium, sitting beside her daughter. "I heard that it was nice, but I'm really impressed!"

Lizzie didn't look up, reading the book in her lap. "Mm," she intoned.

"I have to say," Dawn said, smiling. "I think it's great that the League has been hosting more tournaments like these over the past few years. It's a nice experience for trainers to battle in a setting like this." She clasped her hands together. "Plus, it gives them a chance to see matches between big-name trainers like the one today! It's a learning experience!"

"Uh-huh."

"And you know," Dawn continued, looking at her, "while I'm excited to see your father battle, I'm excited to see Ash, too." She put her hands back down in her lap, lowering her voice. "…It's been a long time."

Lizzie didn't say anything, turning the page to her book as she looked up, setting her eyes on the battlefield. She had heard the stories and seen the videos of Ash Ketchum, and though she had even met him in person a few times, she had never witnessed him battle first-hand before. She had to admit, the thought of being able to see another Champion go head-to-head with her father was exciting.

Dawn continued to stare out at the field, quiet before a thought suddenly popped into her head. "Oh! That reminds me," she started, turning to Lizzie. "Was that Skylar Ketchum I saw you talking to earlier?"

Lizzie blinked in surprise before glancing over at her. "Oh." She sighed a bit, unamused as she returned her attention to her book. "Yes. It was."

Dawn's smile widened. "I thought so!" she chimed. "I didn't realize that Ash and Misty brought her with them to Sinnoh." She pondered, placing a finger to her chin. "Though, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She looks so grown up now. I wonder if she's a registered trainer yet?"

"Not until this spring," Lizzie spoke up.

"Oh! She told you that?" Dawn asked, smiling. Lizzie tensed her shoulders in regret. "Hey, that's just like you, Lizzie!" she said, holding up a finger. "I didn't realize that the two of you would be starting your journeys at the same time!"

"Small world."

"So, what else did you two talk about?" Dawn smiled, scooting closer to her. "Does she know what Pokemon she's picking yet? The Kanto beginner Pokemon are Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, right? Is she going to be getting it from Gary Oak? Oh! Will she even be starting with the League in Kanto?" she prodded. She didn't mean to pry, but, truthfully, Lizzie never had many friends as a child—she always preferred to keep to herself, especially as of late.

"I don't know," Lizzie responded, annoyed.

Dawn lit up, her smile widening. "Hey, I know!" she started. "Wouldn't it be nice if we caught up with the Ketchum family after the battle? Then you two could get to know each other better!"

Lizzie cringed at the thought before closing her book. "No thanks."

"But it would be good for you to meet other new trainers!" Dawn said, Lizzie's visible annoyance going unnoticed. "Having connections with people while you're traveling can be really useful, you know."

"_Mom_, I don't—!"

"_Welcome, Pokemon Trainers and fans, to the Sinnoh Pokemon League Association's Winter Tournament here in Jubilife City! My name is Rodger Gates, and I'll be your battle commentator this morning!_" A booming voice rang from the speakers throughout the stadium.

"Ah!" Dawn inhaled, her face lighting up as she seemed to forget about whatever it was she was saying to Lizzie. "It's about to start!"

Lizzie exhaled. She slid her book into the bag at her feet and focused her attention across the stadium, furrowing her brows together. The clock had finally struck zero.

"_Pokemon Trainers from all over the region have gathered here today to compete in some heated battles, but also for the chance to win our grand prize—a year's supply of Pokemon Vitamins!_" An image of an assortment of medicine bottles and herbs appeared on the big screen above the skybox.

Spectators finally began settling down into their seats, turning their attention towards the images flashing on the screen above them.

Skye beamed as the commentator continued on about the prize and rules of the tournament. "All right!" she said. "It's about time this got started!"

"_But, before we get wrapped up in the action of the tournament, we're going to get things started with an exhibition battle!_ _And it's my honor to welcome both trainers onto our stadium field!_"

There was an excited murmur throughout the audience, and Skye wriggled in her seat impatiently, causing Misty and Pikachu to exchange amused glances with one another.

"Here they come!" Skye said, lowering her voice to just above a whisper.

"_First up,_" Rodger spoke as the doors leading into the locker room on the north end of the stadium began to open, "_let's welcome_ _our very own Sinnoh region Champion of Hearthome City, Paul Rebolledo!_"

A loud roar erupted from the stands as Paul stepped out of the doorway and into the battle zone. His focus was straight forward, not saying a word or acknowledging the crowd. He slid his hands into his pockets, waiting for his opponent.

"Ah! There he is!" Dawn noted with a smile, before sighing. "Isn't it just like him not to even _look_ at the audience?"

Lizzie's eyes trailed to Paul as he walked into the lines of the trainer's box painted on the field. His focus was solely on the match. Nothing else mattered.

"_And next, joining us all the way from Pallet Town, the Kanto region's Champion, Ash Ketchum_!"

There was another thunderous cheer from the crowd as Ash pushed the locker room doors open and jogged onto the field. He turned to the audience, offering a grin and a wave of both arms in the air.

"Your Dad seems as confident as ever," Misty remarked with a smile, crossing her legs.

Skye rose to her feet again. "Go, Dad!" she called loudly, her hands cupped around her mouth. "You can win this one! Knock 'em dead!"

"Pikachu! Pikapi!" Pikachu cheered alongside her, jumping up and down in his seat excitedly.

Skye got a few strange stares from the people around her who were whispering and murmuring things such as "Is that really the Kanto Champion's daughter?" and "I didn't realize his family was here." This went unnoticed by Skye as her eyes remained glued on Ash.

Misty glanced at her with a bemused smirk before turning her attention back to field with a confident smile.

"Ash, do your best."

"_These two Champions have traveled a long way to be here, and are some of the strongest trainers around! We're expecting nothing short of a great battle today!"_

Ash looked across the field to his opponent. Paul stared back at him with a firm glare. As their gazes locked on each other, Ash felt a strong rush through his spine. He grinned, clenching his fists. "Hey, Paul!" he called. "Looks like we're both finally here, huh?"

Paul didn't say anything.

"We've trained long and hard for this match," Ash said, reaching for the Poke Ball holstered on his belt. "And it's about time we've shown you just how strong we've become!" He whipped out his Poke Ball, holding it out firmly in front of him. The crowd erupted into another roar as he did so.

Paul huffed, closing his eyes. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you," he said. He reached into his pocket to retrieve his own Poke Ball, gripping it before looking at Ash. "But so have we—and we won't be holding back."

The crowd's excitement was starting to peak and the match hadn't even begun yet. The bleachers were rumbling with people yelling and stomping their feet.

"This is so difficult for me," Dawn laughed lightly, putting a hand to her mouth. Lizzie looked over to her. "I know I should be cheering for your father, but I want to cheer for Ash, too." She crossed her arms. "It looks like I'm just going to have to cheer for both, then!"

The referee put his hand in the air in order to gain the attention of the crowd. "This match will be a ten-minute, one-on-one battle," he spoke, looking between Ash and Paul. "The clock will start after both trainers release their Pokemon from their Poke Balls."

Ash inhaled. His blood was really pumping now. He was ready and raring to go. "Okay, then let's show Paul what we're made of!" he said, throwing his Poke Ball toward the field. "Infernape, I choose you!"

Infernape emerged from its Poke Ball with a bright, white glow. "Infernape!" he cried, pounding his fists into the ground. He narrowed his gazed onto Paul, the flames atop his head flared strongly.

Paul furrowed his brows together, tossing his own Poke Ball. "Electivire, standby for battle!"

With a bright flash of light, Electivire suddenly appeared from out of its Poke Ball. He rose from being crouched down on one knee into an upright standing position. He let out an "Elect" and set off a few stray sparks from his body upon seeing Infernape a few dozen feet in front of him.

Lizzie paused, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "He's not using Torterra…?"

"I had a feeling he might not," Dawn answered, closing her eyes with a smile. Lizzie looked to her, but Dawn looked back to field. "This is Electivire's battle, after all."

The commentator came back over the speakers. "_We have a match-up between Electivire and Infernape! This is going to make for one heated battle between two skilled Champions, folks! Let's get ready to rumble!_"

Misty's eyes widened; she was surprised to see Electivire take the field instead of Paul's signature Torterra—but this went unnoticed by Skye who grinned confidently. "Dad and Infernape definitely have this!" she said, finally sitting back down beside Misty and Pikachu. There was a flare in her eyes as she gripped her hands tightly against her pants. "He'll win! I know it!"

The clock suddenly lit up with a bright "10:00:00," sounding off a loud "ding" as the referee raised his hand into the air.

"Battle, start!"

"All right!" Ash grinned, pointing forward. "We aren't going to give Paul a chance to move! Mach Punch, Infernape!"

Infernape let out a grunt as he pulled back his fist, quickly pouncing forward and jolting it into the bottom of Electivire's jaw, not giving him or Paul a chance to react. Electivire let out a painful groan as he lifted his jaw, skidding back only the slightest. Paul didn't falter.

"_And so Infernape lands the first hit with a speedy Mach Punch attack!_" Rodger's voice boomed as the audience cheered loudly over the first move of the much-anticipated match finally being made.

"Yes!" Ash grinned, pulling his arm back. "Again, Infernape!"

However, just as Infernape was going in for another swing to Electivire's jaw, Paul suddenly called out, "While it's in close—Thunder!"

Ash's eyes widened, inhaling as Electivire quickly grabbed hold of Infernape's arm with its powerful hands and jolted it with a burst of electricity. Infernape let out a loud screech in pain as its attack was halted by the shock.

"_It looks like Electivire isn't giving Infernape any room to breathe even after taking a hit like that! A fast recovery from Paul and his Pokemon!_"

"Get out of there, Infernape!" Ash called. "Shake it off!"

Electivire continued on with its steady stream of electricity, tightening its grasp on Infernape's wrist as it attempted to wriggle free. Infernape gritted his teeth tightly, letting out a grunt as he delivered a swift kick to Electivire's gut. This caused it to reel back and loosen its grasp on Infernape's wrist, allowing him the chance to get free, jumping backwards a safe distance.

"Good job!" Ash said, relieved. "Now, quick! Use Dig!"

"Infer!" Infernape grunted as he sprung into the air, burrowing himself underground and out of sight.

Paul had seen this old trick coming, and he was prepared for it. "I don't think so," he said sharply as he held out his hand. "Earthquake!"

"Earthquake?" Ash inhaled, his eyes widening in surprise.

Before Ash could properly react, Electivire grinned, leaping into the air and then crashing back down, the sides of its hands roughly impacting the area below it. It caused a quake so intense that it even forced Ash step back in order to maintain his footing. A muffled cry could be heard from beneath the ground.

Skye inhaled sharply, her eyes widening. "H-he used Infernape's Dig to his advantage…!"

"Yeah," Misty commented, furrowing her brows together. "It's bad enough that Earthquake is a super effective attack normally on a fire type like Infernape—but it makes the situation even stickier if Infernape is underground like that." She exhaled. "I'm sure it's going to take a lot of damage."

"_Infernape may have been safe underground normally, but there's no avoiding that Earthquake attack! What will Ash do now?_"

Ash looked to the battlefield ground, pursing his lips. He then shook away his initial shock as he grinned with a huff. "I wouldn't underestimate us so easily." He raised his hand into the air. "Go, Infernape!" he called loudly.

Suddenly, Infernape burst through the ground with a loud yell, punching straight into Electivire's gut. Paul's shoulders tensed only slightly as Electivire's eyes widened, yelling out in pain as it stumbled backward, nearly falling to the ground. Infernape quickly darted backwards, landing on his feet.

"He did it!" Skye's face gleamed with enthusiasm, nearly rising to her feet again as Misty let out a relieved breath.

"_And even though it took damage from Earthquake, Infernape still manages to land a direct hit! And it's super effective!_"

Lizzie held her breath. "W-what? After taking a hit like _that_?" She pursed her lips—she supposed that she should have figured as much. The Pokemon of _any_ Champion should never be underestimated. But, even still...

Paul didn't hesitate for even a moment as Electivire regained his footing, not wanting to give Infernape the chance to get too far away. "Pin it down and use Brick Break!"

Electivire quickly charged at Infernape, lifting its forearm and ramming it into Infernape's throat, pushing it into the ground as it drew back its brightly glowing fist and brought it in for Brick Break.

"Flamethrower!" Ash called, not missing a beat.

Infernape's eyes sharply shot up toward the oncoming attack upon hearing his trainer's command. He inhaled and then let out a powerful burst of flames from his mouth, colliding with Electivire's Brick Break. This caused a small cloud of smoke and dust to rise from the ground, and both Pokemon quickly jumped backwards. The attack was even, and their fighting spirit was still going at full force.

"_These two Pokemon aren't ready to call it quits just yet! A collision like that and they're still going full throttle! This is what a battle between two Champions looks like, everyone!_"

The crowd roared loudly in excitement as Lizzie gripped the fabric of her coat tightly. The intensity of this match was like nothing she had ever seen before.

"Ash is as strong as ever," Dawn noted, watching as Infernape charged towards Electivire, igniting his body in flames for a Flare Blitz attack. Lizzie didn't remove her eyes from the field as Electivire caught Infernape's head in its hands, skidding back as it tried to lessen the impact of the attack before chucking it across the field. "It's obvious that he's been training hard."

"Mr. Ketchum's Infernape," Lizzie said suddenly, catching Dawn off-guard. "It used to be Dad's, didn't it?" Infernape made another charge at Electivire—this time with its Mach Punch attack.

Dawn averted her attention from the battle for a moment as she looked at Lizzie in surprise. Lizzie was still staring straight ahead, but Dawn could tell that she was waiting for an answer even still. "I… yes," Dawn started. "But, your father released him because they just weren't—" She looked back to the field where Infernape was quickly dodging every bolt of electricity Electivire sent its way, "compatible," she finally decided.

Lizzie furrowed her brows together as Dawn continued. "Their relationship was rough. Your father's training style and Infernape's—!" She paused before correcting herself. "I mean, _Chimchar's,_ battling style didn't mesh well together. Your Dad wanted to bring out the most of Chimchar's power, but he couldn't."

Infernape closed in on Electivire, delivering a swift Mach Punch to its gut as it stumbled backwards. "And that's why Ash decided to take Chimchar on himself. It took a lot of training and adjusting for them both but… ever since, they've been a really incredible team."

"So, Dad failed," Lizzie said simply, more to herself than to Dawn. Infernape, who had buried itself underground with Dig, skillfully avoided the tremors heading its way caused by Electivire's Earthquake attack. It suddenly leaped out of the ground, landing a powerful hit to Electivire from behind. She lowered her voice. "I see."

"_And Infernape lands yet another successful hit on Electivire! That Dig is going to cause it some serious damage! How is Paul going to recover from that one?_"

"Dad and Infernape are doing great out there!" Skye grinned, leaning forward in her seat. "They're completely in sync with each other! They've got this match won!"

"Not so fast," Misty said seriously, watching as Infernape, once again, began closing in on Electivire with Mach Punch.

Skye blinked, looking towards Misty in surprised. "Eh? What are you talking about?"

And as if on cue, Electivire delivered a swift Brick Break attack to Infernape's abdomen, causing him to go flying backwards and landing roughly into the ground.

Skye's attention was quickly shifted back to the battle as she reeled back in surprise, eyes widening. "No way! How did Electivire land such a strong hit?! It was totally down a second ago!"

Misty laughed lightly as she watched Infernape get right back onto its feet, sending a blast of Flamethrower Electivire's way—which Electivire managed to dodge. It gained enough space to fire a Thunder at Infernape. "Well, Paul and his Pokemon are just as in sync as Infernape and your father, you know." She lightly scratched the top of Pikachu's head. "It's important for a Pokemon and their trainer to have an understanding of one another."

Misty watched as Electivire held up its arms in an attempt to block another oncoming Flamethrower from Infernape. "The same way Ash and Paul have an understanding of each other," she added.

"Huh?" Skye looked at her. "An understanding of each other?"

"That's right," Misty started. "The moment you become rivals with someone, you start to build your understanding of them—as a person and as a trainer. And, in return, you're able to learn a lot more about yourself as well." She furrowed her brows together as she watched the two Pokemon on the field take hits back and forth. "Your father and Paul have been rivals for a long time now. They understand each other. It helps them be able to predict what the other might do in battle, and they can take advantage of that. It's what gives them an edge and is a part of what makes battles between rivals so intense."

Skye gaped at Misty for a moment before turning her attention back to the field. She darted her eyes between Ash and Paul. It wasn't often that she had seen her father with such a fire in his eyes. She was beginning to realize that perhaps there was a lot more to the relationship between he and Paul than she was aware of.

She dug her fingertips into her knees. "…And what's the other part?"

Misty let out a huff, closing her eyes with a smile. "The bond that you share." She looked to the field. The clock was ticking and yet both Electivire and Infernape were still going strong. "Your rivals are a piece of who you are. You grow and experience a lot together—good times, bad times, high-rising emotions and low points. That's a bond, and being able to confront each other in battle is putting all of those things together and showing the other everything you've got."

Skye didn't turn her head to look at Misty. Instead, she kept her eyes locked on the battlefield. She couldn't help but wonder what it must be like be standing out there where her father stood. She felt her heart race, watching Electivire throw Infernape to the ground before he could try to land another Flare Blitz onto him. She clenched her fists tightly in her lap, furrowing her brows more.

"A bond, huh?"

"_There's only three minutes left of this exhibition match and neither Pokemon is budging an inch! It's hard to say who's in the lead!_"

The clock was starting to go down fast, and yet the battle continued to go up and down like a see-saw. Whenever one side fell down, they wouldn't stay down for long before rising back up. The crowd was entirely wrapped up in the match, their excitement growing. Though, as the clock neared its final two minutes, Electivire closed in on Infernape without giving him much room to move.

"Brick Break!" Paul commanded. "Don't stop!"

Electivire was quick to respond as its large body hovered above Infernape's laying on the ground—throwing hit after hit, each one more aggressive than the last. Infernape was attempting to block by throwing hits of its own, but it was growing tired and wasn't fast enough to counter.

"Get out from underneath it, Infernape!" Ash called loudly. "Use your Flamethrower!"

Infernape inhaled, blasting Electivire with a Flamethrower long enough to escape from underneath it, jumping back. But, as it did, it winced in pain, gripping its injured arm and taking a knee.

"Dad isn't giving Infernape any room to breathe," Lizzie noted. "He's really pushing it to its limits. I don't think it can take much more."

Her father had always been an assertive and aggressive battler, but Lizzie couldn't help but notice that he seemed particularly ruthless during this match-up—especially in these final minutes. It was almost as if he was trying to push for something—that he wanted something more than just a knock out.

"Don't give it a chance to attack, Electivire!" Paul called. "Brick Break one more time!"

Electivire shook off the effects from Infernape's Flamethrower, breathing heavily. "Electivi!" Electivire cried out in agreement, lighting its fist up and delivering a fast Brick Break to Infernape's gut—one it was too exhausted to move away from quick enough.

As Infernape tried to stand back up, it fell to its knees, pressing his knuckles into the ground.

Ash tensed but didn't move, keeping a steady eye on his Pokemon "C'mon, Infernape…" he murmured.

"_Infernape has fallen and seems to be having trouble getting back up! With just one minute left on our clock, could this be the end of the road for Infernape?!_"

"This is bad," Skye said lowly. "If Infernape can't get back up, then Electivire's gonna take the match."

"Pika! Pikachu! Pikapi!" Pikachu cried loudly from Misty's lap in support of his trainer and Infernape, waving his arms in the air.

Misty stayed quiet as she wrapped her arms around Pikachu just a little tighter.

The entire stadium fell silent. All eyes were on Infernape, anticipating what it would do next—whether it would get back up and keep on fighting or if this was really the end.

Neither Paul nor Electivire moved as they held their gaze on Infernape.

Lizzie became frustrated. "Why aren't they doing anything?" she murmured, gripping her jacket tightly.

Dawn didn't say a word as she furrowed her brows together, her eyes locked onto Infernape.

As the clock neared the 30-second mark, Paul closed his eyes with a huff. "…Let's just wrap this up, Electivire. Use—!"

"Infern!" Infernape grunted loudly, slowly rising back to its feet, breathing heavily as it lifted his head to glare dangerously at Electivire. Its body began to glow with a warm, faint red. Paul paused and then furrowed his eyebrows together. Electivire curled and uncurled his hands repeatedly—letting off small sparks from his body.

Ash inhaled sharply, grinning. "Yes…!"

This had been the moment that both trainers and both Pokemon had been waiting for. Infernape gripped his fists tightly, letting out a loud yell as an enormous stream of flames shot up from its body and through the open roof of the stadium, casting a red glow throughout the bleachers.

Paul put an arm to his forehead to shield his eyes from the blinding light. "This is it!" He called loudly to Electivire.

Lizzie caught her breath as she felt her heart stop. The stadium rumbled around them and the cold temperatures from a moment ago seemed to sky rocket to an unbearable heat. Even Dawn had to shield her eyes from the bright light casted off from Infernape's body. Suddenly, memories came flooding back from the videos Lizzie had seen of Ash and Paul's battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference—the final, most intense moments between Infernape and Electivire.

"No way," Lizzie started, staring wide-eyed at the battle field. "T-that's…"

"That's Blaze!" Skye grinned as she rose to her feet, grabbing onto the railing in front of her seat.

"Of course!" Misty's eyes widened, holding Pikachu close. "When Infernape has reached its limits, Blaze will activate to power up its fire-type moves!" She cracked a smile. "Ash still has a chance!"

"_And with just 30 seconds left Infernape has been revived by Blaze! This is the final spurt!"_

"Okay, Infernape!" Ash said, grinning as he turned his worn out baseball hat backward. "Now, let's give Paul everything we've got! Flamethrower!"

Infernape leaned back, inhaling before letting out a powerful blast of fire headed directly for Electivire.

"We've trained for this, Electivire! Now, use your Thunder!" Paul commanded loudly.

Electivire let out a loud grunt as he pushed his hands forward, sending a stream of electricity right into the center of Infernape's Flamethrower. It was an equal match, causing the two to cancel each other out—but neither trainer took even a moment to hesitate.

"Earthquake!"

"Mach Punch!"

Infernape moved in quickly with Mach Punch, landing a hit to the side of Electivire's head—but Electivire grabbed it from around the waist, picking it up as it jumped into the air and slammed it into the ground, allowing it to get the full effect of Earthquake's tremors.

"Back out, Infernape!" Ash called.

Infernape made a fast recovery and was quick to jump back to his trainer in order to prevent any further damage.

"Good," Ash praised before punching forward. "Now, let's finish this! Flare Blitz!"

"Get the last hit, Electivire! Wild Charge!" Paul demanded, gripping his fists by his sides.

Infernape encased itself in a cloak of blue flames as it leapt into the air. It let out a powerful yell as it made its way towards Electivire, who was stomping his feet quickly into the ground as he shrouded himself in an electric casing and quickly ran into a head-on collision with Infernape, right as the clock struck zero. The explosion that followed was so loud that it completely drowned out the bell that sounded and even caused people in the stands, Dawn included, to block their ears.

Ash breathed heavily as he stared into the dark cloud of smoke that now hung over the field, attempting to make out if either Pokemon were still standing. Paul stood firm, watching the field with a heavy gaze as he waited for the smoke to clear out.

Skye stared onto the field in amazement. The stadium was so silent following the explosion that she could hear nothing but the ringing in her ears along with the heavy beating of her heart pulsing through her head.

Lizzie felt as if she couldn't even move as she stared with wide eyes into the cloud of smoke, trying to make out what she could. It was too dark to tell, but after a few moments, the smoke started to clear out, becoming more transparent and revealing two black silhouettes. Both Electivire and Infernape were lying face down on the field, unconscious.

The referee lifted his hand into the hair. "Both Electivire and Infernape are unable to battle!" he spoke loudly. "This match is a draw!"

The audience broke the silence with a wild burst of applause—many people jumping up from their seats and throwing their hands into the air.

Skye remained standing, frozen and wide-eyed as she tightly clutched the railing in front of her. Trying to take in everything that she had just witnessed served as being more difficult than she thought. Everything in the end happened so fast—and before she knew it, both Pokemon were down and out. She was still letting it all sink in as the crowd around her cheered deafeningly loud.

Misty let out the breath she had been holding. It had been a long time since she had last seen a battle of that caliber—even in all of Ash's time as Champion, she had never seen something quite like this. She paused when Pikachu jumped out of her lap and onto the railing in front of Skye.

"Pipika?" he asked, attempting to get her attention, twitching his ears.

Misty frowned slightly as she rose to her feet. She knew that Skye was excited to see the match, and with Ash being Champion her entire life, she had grown so accustomed to seeing him win, that she hoped she wasn't taking the draw too hard. She knew how her daughter could be.

"Sk—!"

"That was _amazing_!" Skye suddenly blurted out as her face busted into a grin.

Pikachu straightened out and perked up his ears in surprise. Misty reeled back, her eyes widening. "I… excuse me?"

Skye spun around to face her, smiling from ear to ear. "Did you see that?! Infernape's Blaze was nuts!" she enthused. "And then that Flare Blitz! Oh! And Electivire's Wild Charge!" She could barely contain her excitement over the match, and Misty couldn't help but smile and sigh in relief.

"Yes, yes, I saw," she laughed lightly as Pikachu jumped back onto her shoulder happily. "It _was _incredible, wasn't it?"

"Yeah!" Skye said, clenching her fists. "It was awesome! Totally and completely awesome! I mean, I knew it would be intense, but… Oh man, that was _crazy_!" She turned back around to face the field.

Misty stepped beside her, watching Ash as she gave Pikachu a light scratch beneath the chin. "The two of them really are something, aren't they?"

Skye beamed as her eyes shone brightly in admiration, watching the two Champions on the field. "Yeah…" She went quiet for a moment. "...I hope that someday I get to have a battle like that."

"_And that's that!_" Rodger's voice boomed loudly throughout the stadium. "_Both Pokemon put up an amazing fight, but in the end it's a double knock-out! Their strengths matched up equally!_"

Ash's eyes widened upon seeing both Infernape and Electivire laying spread out on the field. It took him a moment to comprehend what had happened before closing his eyes and exhaling with a smile. He made his way over to his exhausted Pokemon as he crouched down beside it.

"You were awesome out there, Infernape," Ash said, giving him a light rub on the side of his face. Infernape could barely manage to let out a small, content groan as Ash retrieved its Poke Ball from his belt, returning it. "Thank you."

When he rose back up to his feet, he looked across the field to see Paul tending to his own Pokemon before returning it to his Poke Ball as well. Ash cracked a small smile as he made his way over.

"Paul."

Paul looked up, his gaze meeting Ash's as he rose to his feet without a word.

"Your Electivire has really gotten stronger," Ash said, grinning. "Those new moves totally blew me away."

Paul stared at him for a moment before closing his eyes with a slight smile. "Yeah, it has," he started, then looked at Ash firmly. "Infernape has become stronger, too. It was a good battle."

"It was," Ash said, his smile spreading as he offered his hand to Paul. "Let's battle again, someday."

Paul looked to his hand, unmoving for a moment, as if pondering what to do. He then closed his eyes, raising his hand and firmly grasping Ash's before looking at him. "Yeah."

"_Let's give one last round of applause to Ash Ketchum and Paul Rebolledo for their excellent battle today!_" the commentator spoke as the crowd broke out into one final cheer as the two Champions shook hands on the field.

Dawn exhaled with a smile. "Well, that's that." She said, leaning back as she watched Paul exit the field and walk through the doors that lead into the locker room. She couldn't help but wonder what he must have been thinking. There was one thing she was sure of—he had no regrets.

She huffed. "I was surprised he had taught Wild Charge to Electivire..." she started, putting a finger to her chin. "I wonder if he held out on using it until the end because it causes damage to yourself as well as your opponent?" she mused. She then couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Infernape's Flare Blitz had had any sort of influence in Paul's decision to teach it Wild Charge. She quickly shook the thought away.

"You know," she started, "I almost can't believe that I actually just sat here and watched the two of them battle as Champions." She lifted her head, looking up to the sky. "I still remember the day that I watched them have their very first battle at Professor Rowan's laboratory." She closed her eyes, smiling as she thought of something that only felt like a distant memory to her now. Those days were gone. Paul and Ash had both grown and become so much more.

She sighed as she stood up, stretching. "Well, what did you think, Lizzie?" she asked, now watching Ash exit the field through the other end of the stadium. Dawn paused when she got no response. She turned to face her, blinking.

"Lizzie?"

Lizzie sat frozen in her seat, staring at the field that was now only occupied by employees cleaning up the leftover mess from the battle. Her mouth was shut tightly, but her eyes were wide and Dawn swore that she saw something flicker in them before Lizzie quickly inhaled and turned her attention to her mother.

"Huh?"

Dawn raised her eyebrows before shaking it off and offering her a smile. "I was just wondering what you thought of the battle," she repeated.

It took a moment for what Dawn was saying to fully click in Lizzie's head. "O-oh…!" She started, looking from Dawn back to the field, staying quiet for a moment. "…It was incredible." Even with every word she knew flowing through her head, none existed that could describe what she just saw. There was so much running through her mind that she could barely speak. Everything about the battle shook her to her core, and there were simply no words to describe the sheer intensity of it other than just that—incredible.

Dawn smiled, understanding. "Well, I'm sure that your father has a lot to take care of—so we probably won't see him until after the tournament is over," she said, looking down the aisle. "But, I'm going to go and get something to drink before the rest of the battles start. Do you want anything?"

Lizzie shook her head. "No. I'm all right. Thank you."

"All right," Dawn conceded with a smile. "Then I'll be right back." She gave a gentle touch to the top of Lizzie's head before walking off.

Lizzie watched her go before turning her attention back to the field where trainers were starting to gather to see the match-ups for the first round of battles. The field had been swept clean, so any remnants of the battle between Ash and Paul were gone. The image of the clash between Infernape's Flare Blitz and Electivire's Wild Charge flashed through her mind once more and she furrowed her brows together.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set. Misty shifted anxiously—it was getting late. She was sitting on a bench beside Skye, waiting for Ash to come out from inside of the stadium. Removing her Pokegear from her bag, she checked the time and pursed her lips. "Your Dad sure is taking his sweet time getting out here," she commented, looking around. "I'm willing to bet that he got caught up with the press… again."

Skye bounced up and down in her seat impatiently as she kept watch for her father. "Well, I hope he doesn't take _too_ much longer!"

Pikachu was sitting in between Misty and Skye. He didn't seem nearly as bothered by the wait as the two of them did. He turned his head back and forth, looking for Ash with a smile on his face.

"Me too," Misty sighed, running a hand through her hair. "If he takes too long then we might hit traffic on our way to the harbor…" She continued to look around. "And the last thing that I want to do is get a late ferry back to Kanto. I have a lot I need to get done tomorrow."

A frown fell onto Skye's face as she watched fewer and fewer people leave the arena. However, something then suddenly caught her attention—a familiar white and red baseball cap in the distance. She gasped, perking up as she bounced to her feet. "Oh! There he is!" She began running towards her father. "Dad!" she called, waving to him. "Over here!"

Pikachu looked over in confusion when Skye stood up, but became excited when he spotted Ash.

"Cha!" Pikachu squeaked delightfully as he jumped off of the bench, sprinting towards Ash. "Pikapi!" He jumped onto his shoulder when he reached him, nuzzling affectionately against his cheek.

Misty looked over with surprise as Skye ran off. She then became flustered, gritting her teeth as she rose to her feet. "Hey! Skye!" She began chasing after her. "Wait!"

Ash blinked, stopping in his tracks as he exited the building when he saw Skye and Pikachu running his way. "Oh! There you are!" He smiled, turning to them fully, holding a hand up. "I've been looking all over for you guys!" He laughed when Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder and gave his partner an affectionate scratch below the chin. "Hey, buddy!"

Skye skidded to a stop in front of him, breathing heavily as she grinned widely. "Oh man, Dad, your battle was totally _amazing_!" she enthused, "Infernape's Blaze was incredible!"

Ash crossed his arms, smiling with amusement before he laughed and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Hey, I'm glad you liked it!" he said as she beamed up at him.

Misty finally caught up to the two of them, letting out a few huffs as she put a hand to her chest, leaning over a bit so she could catch her breath.

Ash blinked, looking over to her with a grin as he held up a hand. "Oh, hey, Mist!"

Misty paid him no attention as she turned to her daughter, growling irritably. "_Skye_!" she started, standing up straight and putting her hands on her hips. "How many times do I have to tell you? You can't just go running off like that!"

"Of _course_ I liked it!" Skye gushed, smiling. Misty's face deadpanned, unamused. "I've never seen anything like it!" She inhaled, smiling brightly as she stood up straight. "I can't wait until I have my _own_ Pokemon and get to battle like that!"

Misty sighed and shook if off before cracking a smile. She then turned to Ash. "It's about time you showed up. We were waiting for nearly 20 minutes, you know."

Ash snapped his head up from Skye, laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, yeah. Sorry about that!" he apologized, putting his hand back down. "I got tied up with some of those people from _Sinnoh Now,_ and the newspaper and stuff." He shrugged. "You know how they can be—it's always a million questions." He then grinned, looking between his daughter and wife. "But, more importantly, did you guys enjoy the tournament?"

Skye closed her eyes, crossing her arms as she puffed out her chest. "Yeah," she drawled before opening an eye with a smile. "But none of those battles could even come close to matching up with _yours_," she stated proudly.

"Hey, I dunno about that!" Ash started, holding up a finger. "I saw a bunch of really great, young talent out there! Lots of those kids had some raw potential!"

Skye dismissed him with the wave of her hand. She then quickly shot her eyebrows up. "Hey, hey! Tell me what it was like!" She smiled eagerly. "How it felt to battle in those final moments, I mean!"

"Hmm?" Ash hummed. "Ah! You mean with Infernape's Blaze! It was…" He crossed his arms in thought. "Intense!" He grinned, looking down at her. "I mean, it gives you this totally crazy rush!" He smiled confidently, clenching his fist as he took a moment to remember the feeling that had jolted through his body. "When you're on that field in the heat of a battle, facing off against an opponent like Paul_..."_ He shook his head, smiling. "There's nothing like it! I could feel every vein pumping in my body!"

Skye was in awe, her eyes shining with admiration as she listened. She couldn't help but think about what she wouldn't give to be in Ash's position—a strong opponent facing her on the opposite side of the battlefield. Suddenly, something came rushing back into her mind and she gasped. "A-ah!" she stammered, looking around frantically. "I just remembered—there's something I've gotta do!" She turned on her heel and began running. "I'll catch up later!" she called back to them.

Ash's face fell. "U-uh…"

Misty fumed as soon as Skye started to run off _again_. She quickly turned to her daughter. "_Skylar_!" she called after her. "And just where are you going?! We have to leave soon or else we're going to miss our ferry!"

Skye didn't stop, but turned her head back to them. "Don't worry!" She held up a hand. "I'll be back in a flash! Promise!" And then she was out of sight.

"Skye! Don't you—!" But it was too late. Misty let out an irritated groan, pressing her fingertips to her forehead. "_Seriously_…! Sometimes I don't know how I put up with you guys!"

Ash simply grinned, scratching his nose as he let out a chuckle. "Don't worry!" He turned to her with a smile. "I'm sure whatever she's doing, it must be important!"

* * *

Dawn was standing with Lizzie, looking into the gates that led to the back entrance of the stadium where she had been with Paul earlier that day.

"Your Dad is taking longer than usual," Dawn noted, folding her hands behind her back. She was sure that Rhonda and her _Sinnoh Now_ crew were in the middle of giving him a hard time. Dawn couldn't help but crack a small smile. "I'm sure he's not happy about _that_…"

Lizzie, who was absentmindedly flipping through her book, glanced up at Dawn as she spoke before drawing her attention to the stadium doors as they opened, Paul emerging from them.

"Oh!" Dawn perked up. "It looks like I spoke too soon!" She waved a hand to get his attention. "Paul!"

Paul, who had his hands shoved in his pockets and his head facing the ground (likely to avoid any further media attention, Dawn assumed), looked up upon hearing her voice. He stopped in his tracks for a moment before passing through the gate and making his way over to them, letting out a gruff sigh.

"The media is such a bother," he grumbled, closing his eyes.

"I _thought_ that may have been what was holding you up," Dawn laughed, crossing her arms before shrugging it off to change the topic. "So, that tournament was really great! There were so many talented trainers out there today!" She held up a finger. "_But_, I think my favorite part was still the battle between you and Ash! It really left me shell shocked!"

Paul looked at her, quiet for a moment as he looked back towards the stadium. "…It was a good battle."

Dawn clasped her hands together, smiling as she continued on. "Seeing Electivire with those new attacks was really something else, too! I didn't know you had taught him Earthquake and Wild Charge!" She then paused, remembering her daughter standing beside her and lit up, looking down at her. "What did you think, Lizzie? Wasn't it cool seeing your Dad go head-to-head with another Champion like that?"

Lizzie, who had been glancing down at a page in her book, remained quiet and unmoving. Paul glanced towards her without saying a word as he waited for a response. Suddenly, she shut her book. "That Infernape," she started, raising her head to look at Paul. "It was strong."

When she turned her head up to him, Paul noticed a flicker in his daughter's eyes that he hadn't seen before. He furrowed his brows together, his eyes locked onto hers for a moment before closing them and giving a nod. "…It was."

Lizzie felt something burning inside of her as she clenched her fist at her side, keeping her gaze on Paul before looking to the ground without another word.

Dawn glanced between the two of them. Lizzie hadn't answered the question that she had asked before—and Dawn knew that, at this point, she wasn't going to at all. She stayed silent for a moment, closing her eyes, until finally deciding to speak up again.

"…Anyways," she started, changing the topic as she looked to Paul. "I was thinking about going to meet up with Ash before he has to head back to Kanto—just to say hello."

"All right."

Dawn was sure that Paul wouldn't want to tag along with her. He would probably stop by the Pokemon Center to pick up Electivire before they had to leave.

She turned her attention to her daughter instead. "Why don't you come with me, Lizzie?" she asked, tilting her head.

"No thanks," Lizzie said, shaking her head as she glanced down the street, towards the parking lot. "I think I would rather go wait in the car."

Dawn raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh," she said, frowning. "Well… I might be a little while. Are you sure?"

"It's not a problem," Lizzie assured. Her eyes flicked to her book. "I'll read while I wait."

Dawn didn't appear satisfied as she crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly. As much as she would have liked for Lizzie to get to know the Ketchum family, she knew that she couldn't force Lizzie into talking to them if she didn't want to. "Okay," she resigned, smiling a little. "I'll try not to be _too_ long then. I'm sure that they have a boat to catch, anyways."

Lizzie nodded in understanding. Her eyes shifted towards Paul, pursing her lips as she inhaled, gripping the book in her hand before turning her backs to them and leaving.

Dawn frowned as she kept an eye on Lizzie, making sure that she made it down the street all right. "Jeeze," she started. "She's always the same, isn't she?"

Paul slid his hands into his pockets as he watched Lizzie leave. He furrowed his brows together as the look in her eyes flashed in his mind again.

* * *

Lizzie walked quietly down the near empty street in front of the stadium. Practically everyone had left by now—only a few stragglers alongside their Pokemon remained, and even they looked like they were about ready to hit the road as well. She kept her eyes straight ahead of her, watching the sun as it began to set just behind the colosseum. The orange glow that the sun casted along the ground brought back the image of Infernape's Blaze lighting up the entire stadium mere hours ago. She could still feel the heat crawling along her skin. Its sheer power was incredible, and she wanted to know what it would be like to be in control of something like that—something that was strong enough to bring even her father's Pokemon to its knees.

"Lizzie!"

Lizzie stopped in place. She scrunched her forehead in confusion as she turned, only to feel herself cringe when she saw Skye running her way.

"Wait up!" Skye panted, picking up the pace.

Lizzie sighed irritably. "What do you want _now_?"

Skye stopped a few feet away, leaning over to catch her breath, pressing the palms of her hands to her knees. She looked up at Lizzie with a smile. "I just wanted to be able to have the chance to talk to you!" She stood up straight. "Now that the tournament's over and all!"

"Ah, right…" Lizzie murmured, turning her head away, unamused. The entire point of going back to the car had been to _avoid_ Skye.

Skye didn't hesitate for a moment. "Wasn't the battle between our Dads totally awesome?!" She grinned. "Your Dad's Electivire was really something else!"

Lizzie glanced over towards Skye before averting her gaze again. "Yeah, it was." She exhaled and went quiet for a moment. "…Infernape was strong, too." She looked at Skye. "I've never seen anything quite like that Blaze before."

"Right?!" Skye perked up before inhaling and ruffling her hair. "Ohh! I can't wait until I get to battle like that one day!"

"Yeah…" Lizzie trailed off with a huff, glancing to the ground. "…Me too."

"…Hey!" Skye suddenly spoke up after a silence had fallen between them. "The next time we meet, let's have a battle!"

Lizzie quickly lifted her head to look at Skye. "…What?"

Skye grinned, thumbing to herself. "The next time our paths cross, you and I will both be Pokemon Trainers!" She put her hand down. "And besides that, we're the daughters of _Champions_!" Her smile widened. "It's meant to be!"

Lizzie's grip on the book in her hand tightened and she glanced to the ground again, quiet. After a moment, she inhaled, furrowing her brows as she looked Skye in the eye.

"…Okay," she agreed. "I'll battle you."

There was a flare in Skye's eyes. "You know what this means, right?" she asked, clenching her fist. "This makes us rivals!"

Lizzie was silent. Something about Skye saying that made her heart pound, even if just the slightest. She gripped her fist at her side, not breaking eye contact. After a moment, she turned her back to Skye and let out a huff.

"…If you can keep up with me, that is," Lizzie said, just loud enough for Skye to hear before she began walking away.

Skye smiled confidently, taking a deep breath as she cupped her hands around her mouth. "You can count on it!" she called, raising her voice louder as Lizzie walked further away. "I'll win every badge and I'll beat you in the Pokemon League! And after that I'll conquer the Champion League and battle my Dad! Don't doubt it!"

Lizzie suddenly stopped in her tracks as she heard Skye calling to her, but she didn't look back. She stared ahead, furrowing her brows together. "…Then I'll keep you to that," she murmured to herself before continuing on her way.

Skye stood still as Lizzie left—her silhouette disappearing in the distance. She smiled confidently, her eyes following the sun as it fell over the horizon. She clenched her fists tightly at her sides.

"Just watch me."

* * *

_Next time__… a new beginning!_


End file.
